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02 NEWS MaRyaM SayS ReSPoNSIbILITy To ouST PReMIeR oN LaHoRe’S SHouLdeRS
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IN spite of warnings from the incumbent government, the leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) have said that they will move forward with their Lahore rally, and in this regard, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that the "responsibility to remove [Imran Khan] had fallen on the shoulder of Lahore" .
The PML-N VP, while speaking to a charged crowd at a venue in Lahore's NA128 constituency on Monday, was gathering support for the upcoming PDM rally. Replying to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s earlier statements about allowing the rally, Maryam lashed out and said, "He says he won't stop the government but says will not allow chairs […] He says he will not allow tents. Lahore, tell me, do you need chairs?" "The Lahore jalsa will show that this fake government's days are numbered, ” she added. Similarly, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira addressed a press conference in Lahore today, wherein he said the government’s attempts to change tactics would not stop the upcoming rally. "The premier doesn't realise that these things don't stop rallies. Martial law used much harsher tactics but rallies and movements did not stop. "
He labelled the incumbent government as “fascist” , declared that the people were fed up with the ruling party, and said that it was time for the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) to go. "The PDM leadership has decided that the Dec 13 jalsa will take place, " he said. This announcement comes a day before the leaders of the PDM meet in the federal capital to finalise their strategies for the aforementioned rally.
Punjab PML-N President Rana Sanaullah confirmed that the heads of the 11-party alliance would meet tomorrow, and said, "Hundreds of thousands of workers will participate in the Lahore rally. This requires complete arrangements. They cannot be addressed without a proper sound system. "
Sanaullah also lashed out against the premier for his inconsistent statements. "[Imran] is saying that he will not allow arrangements for chairs and lights and will not allow a stage to be set up.And [in the same breath] he says he will not stop us from holding the rally" .
A day earlier, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had warned the government that it will respond in the same coin if it used force to disrupt the PDM Lahore rally. The Jamiat Ulema-e-IslamFazl (JUI-F) chief had also said that the opposition parties wanted their armed forces to carry on their duties as professional soldiers.
“They are our strength and should concentrate to protect the geographical frontiers of the country, ” he had said.
Court sentences three to death for rape in Gilgit
GILGIT:Alocal court in Gilgit on Monday sentenced three men to death after they were found guilty of subjecting a woman to sexual abuse in Gilgit-Baltistan’s (GB) Shigar district.Abid Hassan, Sakhawat andAsghar were also directed to furnish a fine of Rs1 million each. The convicts had sexually abused the woman for seven months. The court wrapped up the trial proceedings within a month’s time by hearing the case on a daily basis. Gilgit Baltistan Chief Court Chief Justice Malik Haq Nawaz had taken notice of the incident after it came to light.Afirst information report (FIR) of the incident was filed on September 20 while the trial began on November 20. On September 25, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had handed capital punishment to two men for raping and filming a teenager in Skardu.ATC Judge Mahmoodul Hassan announced the verdict, sentencing MuzaffarAbbas and Tajamul Hussain to death. Besides, both were also handed life imprisonment and asked to pay a fine of Rs1 million each. TLTP
Iqbal's indictment in NSC case deferred
ISLAMABAD:An accountability court in Islamabad on Monday deferred the indictment of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secretary generalAhsan Iqbal in a case pertaining to the Narowal Sports City (NSC) project. Last month, the court had decided to indict Iqbal in the reference on December 7. The process was postponed after an anti-graft prosecutor failed to appear before the court. Meanwhile, the PML-N leader and the four other accused were present.Adjourning the hearing, the court announced to indict the accused on December 22. The agency filed the reference against Iqbal last month in the accountability court, accusing the PML-N stalwart of misuse of authority and “illegally enhancing the scope of [the] project from Rs34.75 million to Rs3 billion” . STAFF REPORT
NEWS DESK
The Ministry of Interior, in a letter, has asked provincial governments to take measures against armed wings of political and religious parties, warning that the security situation may worsen if action is not taken.
The letter issued added that these organisations and will create a negative image of the country. Furthermore, theletteroutlinedhowcertainreligiousparties,inviolation ofArticle 256 of the Constitution and the third point of the NationalActionPlan(NAP),haveestablishedtheirmilitias and even wear uniforms like formal armed forces.
Interior Ministry requested all provincial governments to take immediate cognizance of this threat and adapt effective necessary measures to check the functioning and other development of such militias.
In response to the letter, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the order to take action against religious and political parties' volunteers is "ill-intentioned. " "There is a difference between a party's military wing and its volunteers, " Fazl said. "Our volunteers belong to Ansar-ul-Islam, which is the constitutional wing of the JUI, and is registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan. " "In 2001, our volunteers planned thousands of jalsas in the country. At that time, the then home minister had appreciated the arrangements made by our volunteers, " he maintained. "Akin to that, the volunteers ofAnsar-ulIslam performed security duties during our 2017 jalsas. "
The JUI-F said that the letter by the home ministry was merely to exert political pressure.
Sindh govt surpassed tax collection targets, Murad tells Bilawal
NEWS DESK
Sindh Chief Minister Syed MuradAli Shah had a meeting with Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, wherein the former said that the Sindh government has surpassed its own tax collection targets this year.The meeting took place at the Bilawal House in Karachi on Monday, and the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest.
During the meeting, CM Murad said that the development of the province was slow-going due to low payments made by the federal government. The two also talked about measures taken against Covid-19 by the Sindh Health Department. Furthermore, Bilawal stressed the need for a public-private partnership to create more employment opportunities and instructed the Sindh government to start a recruitment drive for filling vacant positions. On Saturday last, Pak Sarzameen Party Chairman Syed Mustafa Kamal, while speaking to the media outside the National Accountability Bureau court in Karachi, had said the chief minister
“illegally and immorally withheld the money under the NFC [National Finance Commission]Award after its release from the federation, as if it was his personal property and not of the people of the province” . “No one dares to ask him why the entire Sindh, including its capital Karachi, is posing a dismal look despite receiving thousands of billions of rupees from the NFC every year, ” he had said. Speaking on the occasion, he had said that public problems could not be resolved without local governments, and that asked for election of mayors which would revolutionise the country.
Zardari suffered head injuries after fall, IHC informed
NEWS DESK
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) learned on Monday that former president and Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Co-chairmanAsifAli Zardari had suffered head injuries from a fall and had been readmitted to a hospital on November 22.According to the medical report with Geo TV, the PPP leader had complained of swelling in his head and pain on the left side of his chest, as well as tension in his lower back. It also said that the chest pain increased whenever Zardari walked. He had earlier been discharged from the hospital on October 11.After an examination by neuro, orthopaedic, and spinal surgeons, it emerged that there was a blood clot in the occipital bone of the former president. Furthermore, a CT scan had been conducted and Zardari had been advised to refrain from travelling. In light of this, Zardari had filed a petition with the IHC to exempt him appearing in court on medical grounds in the fake accounts case.
LHC seeks Punjab’s reply on petition seeking ban on rallies
LAHORE STAFF REPORT
The Lahore High Court (LHC) took up on Monday a writ petition seeking a ban on public gatherings due to a continued surge in coronavirus cases and other Covid-related measures. An LHC bench issued notices to Punjab’s special health secretary and the Lahore deputy commissioner to furnish their response to the petition by the next hearing. The petitioner stated before the court that there is a need to ban rallies to halt the spread of the deadly disease. He demanded that pharmacies at all the hospitals be ordered to stay open round-the-clock. He further requested the court to issue directives for the authorities concerned to ensure presence of senior doctors at coronavirus wards at night and kith and kins of hospitalised Covid-19 patients interact with them through video calls to keep tabs on their health condition. On December 2, a petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking court order against the upcoming protest meeting by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Lahore. A petition filed by Advocate Nadeem Sarwar has made the federal government, NCOC, PDM, PML-N and PPP, parties in the petition. A health emergency has been enforced in the country in the wake of coronavirus, the petition said. The PDM is holding protest rallies despite the government’s ban on large public meetings, which are causing a spike in coronavirus cases, according to the petition. “The PDM leadership is playing with the lives and health of the people, ” the petition said.
LAHORE:An accountability court on Monday recorded statements of two witnesses in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. The hearing of the case was resumed byAccountability JudgeAmjad Nazir Chaudhry. The jail authorities presented Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz before the court under strict adherence of the coronavirus-related standard operating procedures (SOPs). The jail authorities and secretary home presented their report on the orders of the court over not presenting Hamza on a previous hearing. Earlier, the court took notice of Hamza’s absence in the hearing and had ordered the jail officials to submit a written response to clarify the reasons for not producing him. The NAB had filed a reference accusing former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza and others for causing losses to the national exchequer and misusing authority by sanctioning construction of a bridge to facilitate the sugar mills. The NAB officials said that Shehbaz, being the chief minister of Punjab, misused his authority by issuing directives for the construction of a 10-kilometre-long drain in Chiniot primarily to benefit the sugar mill owned by his sons. STAFF REPORT
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood on Monday held a meeting with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Chairman Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa, wherein he said that CPEC is a transformational project, and there is a complete national consensus on CPEC's indispensability for Pakistan’s national development efforts.
“Pakistan and China are firmly committed to the timely completion of CPEC projects and making it a high-quality demonstration project of BRI [Belt and Road Initiative], ” he said.
Reviewing the progress of CPEC projects, the foreign secretary maintained that CPEC energy and infrastructure projects had created thousands of jobs and had boosted industrial growth and productivity. It testified to the fact that CPEC's contribution to strengthen Pakistan’s economic landscape has been real and substantial, he emphasised.
The foreign secretary underlined that Pakistan's focus in the next phase of CPEC was on industrialisation and socio-economic development, areas that will create vast job and growth opportunities for the common people. Three out of the nine CPEC SEZs, namely Rashakai, Dhabeji and Allama Iqbal, have been prioritised and Pakistan would welcome foreign direct investment in those projects.
Lt Gen (r) Bajwa underscored that the CPEC Authority was committed to ensuring that CPEC projects were completed on time. He hoped that the 10th JCC, likely to be held in the near future, will create more economic opportunities and contribute to further expansion of CPEC projects. He reaffirmed that Pakistan would welcome relocation of industry from China and in that regard will institute a regime that could encourage inflow of Chinese investments to Pakistan.
The foreign secretary underlined that the government was particularly focused on strengthening agricultural cooperation between Pakistan and China. In that regard, a plan of action, detailing the contours of this collaboration, was already being discussed between the two governments. The foreign secretary hoped that the plan of action will be expeditiously implemented. It was reaffirmed in the meeting that postCovid-19, through collective efforts of Pakistan and China, CPEC would become the hub for the regional trade and connectivity and will deepen people-to-people exchanges at a wider level.
PakISTaN IN TaLkS wITH CHINa, RuSSIa To GeT CoRoNavIRuS vaCCINeS
KARACHI AGENCIES
PAKISTANI health authorities are negotiating with China and Russia, among others, to procure coronavirus vaccines, an official said on Monday.
“We are in talks with China, Russia and some other countries for procurement of the [Covid-19] vaccine after narrowing down our priority list, ” Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Faisal Sultan told Anadolu Agency.
The vaccine, he said, would be available in Pakistan sometime between January and March next year, and administered to health workers and senior citizens in the first phase.
“There is nothing final yet; however, I can tell you that we have to rely on more than one source, ” the adviser said. “We will procure the vaccine only after its efficacy and safety is proven. "
While Russia has started the distribution of its Sputnik V Covid-19 shot nationwide, China is testing its vaccines in many countries, and supply deals are being signed.
Other vaccines seeking emergency use authorisation are produced by PfizerBioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca.
Islamabad has already earmarked an initial sum of $150 million to purchases the doses.
Last week, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Nausheen Hamid said that all citizens would be administered Covid-19 vaccines free of charge, and the drive will begin in the second quarter of 2021. Pakistan has witnessed a spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths in recent weeks.
The South Asian country recorded 3,795 new infections on Monday, the highest single-day tally since July 3.
The total caseload in the country of 220 million people has reached 420,294, including 8,398 related deaths. Pakistan has tested about 5.8 million people for the virus to date.
Some patients being treated for the novel virus are said to have died of oxygen shortage at a government hospital in the city of Peshawar on December 5. The provincial health minister has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
KTH admin suspends seven officials for failure to maintain oxygen supply
PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
Peshawar's Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) suspended seven staffers on charges of negligence in the performance ofdutyonMonday,adayaftersixpatients in intensive care and isolation units of the facility died of coronavirus-related complications as oxygen tanks arriving from Rawalpindi failed to reach on time.
The problem began after the daily supply of fresh oxygen cylinders did not arrive on Saturday evening. The 300 backup cylinders were then unable to supply the required pressure for the ventilators provided to critical Covid-19 patients. “The hospital orders oxygen cylinders from Rawalpindi, ” said one KTH spokesperson. “[In this instance] the reserves did not arrive on time from Rawalpindi. ”
Reports quoting hospital sources suggest patients admitted to other wards of the hospital were also facing difficulties due to the absence of oxygen cylinder. However, a person, whose mother is ill with Covid-19, told a publication that some patients were eventually moved to the emergency room, where there was still a good oxygen supply.
As the hospital administration initiated an inquiry into the shortage of oxygen supply, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government sought its report within 48 hours failing which Chief Minister Mahmood Khan said the provincial government would hold an “independent” inquiry.
Preliminary rePort Pins blame on 'system failure'
According to the preliminary report -- prepared by a three-member committee and submitted Monday morning -- the on-duty manager of the services line told the committee that on the day of the incident he received a call from the hospital's operation theatre regarding low oxygen pressure.
Thank you to BoG KTH for directly supervising the inquiry & completing their work within 24 hrs. A sombre moment; please spare a prayer for the bereaved families.
On receiving the complaint, he called the oxygen plant's manager, who did not receive his phone, after which the former visited the plant in person and found that the two officials, who were supposed to be on duty, were absent.The oxygen plant pressure at that moment was zero, the report said.
At the time, about 90 patients were in the coronavirus isolation ward, out of which 20 were on Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP), two on ventilators and the rest were being supplied with oxygen through masks.
Due to the shortage in oxygen supply, the hospital management shifted 13 patients to the Accident and Emergency Department where "limited supply in the form of [the] manifold was available" . The rest of the patients were provided oxygen through cylinders, which were in limited supply.
According to the services line manager, the oxygen plant assistant "failed to perform his duty as he is responsible for the oxygen plant and has a liaison with the supplier" .
The inquiry report noted that there was "no emergency rescue squad as required for disaster management under suchconditions" .Sixpatientspassedaway due to the shortage of oxygen supply, the report said, while three were initially missing. One is still missing while the other two patients were tracked down and are alive, according to the report. "Any other expiry [if any] in isolation or other wards of the hospital due to disruption in oxygen supply will be confirmed and submitted in detail[ed] report, " the inquiry committee said.
The report revealed the services contract between the hospital and Rawalpindi-based Ms Pakistan Oxygen Limited had expired on June 30, adding that confirmation of extension was done verbally.
“No office order regarding renewal/extension of [the] contract is available with the record provided by the pharmacy ’s manager, ” it added.
The committee found that even though the oxygen tank had a capacity of 10,000 cubic metres, the supplier has "never filled the tank to the required level" , the report said. On December 4, for example, the company only supplied 3,040 cubic metres of oxygen.
It also observed that the hospital had one oxygen storage tank and did not have a backup system for oxygen supply despite official recommendations. A hospital should "ideally" have a primary backup, i.e., another oxygen tank, or a secondary backup of oxygen manifolds.
The committee also found that the staff appointed to work with the plant lacked technical expertise.The hospital's biomedical engineer and his team failed to train the staff and did not maintain "this important lifesaving equipment" .
In its conclusion, the committee said that the incident had taken place due to "system failure" . It also took note of the lack of training of staff, backup, supply and emergency squad.
The report said seven officials have been suspended with immediate effect, while an investigation will be conducted into the standards of the firm's monitoring and supply system. It said qualified and trained staff would be hired for the oxygen plant, and that a primary and secondary backup system for the oxygen plant would be established on an emergency basis.
The inquiry also calls for establishing a proper command and control system of oxygen supply, as well as a “proper emergency rescue squad” for the hospital. Medical Teaching Institution (MTI) director Dr. Tahir Nadeem Khan, facility manager Tahir Shahzad, supply chain manager Ali Waqas, biomedical engineer Bilal Babak, oxygen plant assistant Niamat and oxygen plant duty staffers Waheed and Shahzad Akbar have all been suspended, it said.
NEWS 03 Interior minister administered trial Covid-19 vaccine in Lahore
LAHORE: Minister for Interior retired Brig Ijaz Shah on Monday received a shot of a trial vaccine of a Chinese coronavirus vaccine at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) in Lahore. “Interior Minister Ijaz Shah was administered the vaccine, which has been in phase three of clinical trials, ” UHS vice chancellor Prof Dr JavedAkram said. “The minister’s staff members were also administered the trial vaccine. ” Earlier on Saturday Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar, his wife and staff members received shots of China-made coronavirus trial vaccine at the University of Health Sciences in Lahore.After Governor Sarwar, Interior Minister Ijaz Shah has been another prominent public figure in Pakistan who has received ashotof trialvaccineof thecoronavirus.The university conducting tests of thevaccinesinceOctober 2 and administered thevaccineto 7,000 volunteers till now in clinicaltrials, DrAkramsaid. Dr JavedAkramin an interview earlier said avaccinewillbeavailablein Pakistan within six to eightweeks. Hesaid thattheUHS has tested aChinesevaccineacross thecountry in clinicaltrials. Headded thattheanti-bodies responsein vaccinated individuals has been promising. STAFF REPORT
afghan president terms PM’s visit as milestone in cementing ties
ISLAMABAD:Afghan PresidentAshraf Ghani has termed the recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to the country as an important milestone in strengthening bilateral ties between the two neighbours. TheAfghan president expressed these views during the 19th Ministerial conference of CentralAsia Regional Economic Cooperation virtually held on Monday. TheAfghan president said that the visit has enhanced prospectus for regional cooperation and integration. STAFF REPORT
Petition challenges legal status of medical entrance exam
KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) and other respondents in a petition challenging the legal status of the recently-held Medical and Dental AdmissionTest (MDCAT) examination.The petitioners, through their counsel Jibran Nasir, stated the questions asked in the exam paper were from out of syllabus and sought a committee comprising members from all provinces to investigate the matter.The counsel asked the high court to halt the second round of MDCATexam scheduled for December 13 and also restrain PMC from announcing the result of the first round.The bench issued notice to all concerned parties and sought a reply by the next hearing on December 16. Thousands of medical aspirants appeared in the MDCAT exam held across the country on November 29 after multiple hiccups and delays. STAFF REPORT
Pressuring elected reps for resignation not democracy: Faraz
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz has urged the opposition parties to demonstrate patience over their political destiny for the next three years. In his tweet on Monday, the information minister said that the alliance of opposition parties cannot negate the public decision of 2018. The minister said that the fate of those beating about the bush is not power but prison. Faraz said that putting pressure on the elected representatives for resignation on the part of unelected people is not democracy. Earlier on Sunday, in her address to the participants of the party's social media convention, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz Sharif dropped strong hints of resignations by PDM lawmakers to be announced in the December 13 show of street power of the opposition parties. She appealed to the party Senators, MNAs and MPAs to stay firm and loyal to the party if the leadership goes for the option of resignations from the assemblies. She asked them not to succumb to any pressure in this regard.
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar inaugurates the Gul-e-Dawoodi exhibition at Jilani Park in the provincial capital. ZUBAIR MEHFOOZ
noam Chomsky says Chinese vaccine may be first to be available in market
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
Noam Chomsky, renowned academic and author of several books, appreciated the way China handled the coronavirus pandemic and its follow-up measures.
Chomsky expressed these views during his lecture through video-link to the students of a private university. He said that 20 years have passed since he visited Pakistan and was happy to speak to Pakistani students.
The American academic added that coronavirus vaccine is in the early stages of testing in China, saying that he believed the Chinese vaccine may be the first to be available in the market.
Chomsky said that South Korea also took good measures to control the pandemic. He said that South Korea fought the Covid-19 well while the United States, India and Brazil did not take good steps to deal with the epidemic.
He said that theAmerican people were the victims of right-wing propaganda and the White House wanted to downplay China's actions. Chomsky hoped that the world will get rid of the pandemic at a very expensive and inevitable price.
"The present generation is facing questions that have never appeared in human history. These questions are a burden and a challenge, " he said.
The renowned intellectual said that the threat of nuclear war is increasing in the world and if steps are not taken, the threat of environmental catastrophe is also on the rise. He said that South Asia faces threats from climate change.
